Post by malafleur on May 23, 2015 20:35:07 GMT -8
After the group trip last year to Utah (my first time) I was planning a return trip within months of our return home. My approach on this visit was to visit some new areas of Utah and to return to some of last years sites, but to spend more time in those specific areas. Also on this trip I would have my closest Off road friend, my wife Jan, who has participated in some of our group outing in past years. We took our modified 2009 Jeep JK Rubicon and modified 2014 Jeep JK Sport Unlimited.
Here is a quick rundown of the trip and some pictures.
May 14, Travel to Snow Canyon State Park Utah. Camp there overnight. Left Lakewood, CA about 5:30 am. Got to Snow canyon about 12-1230. Overcast, little breezy. Drove along main road of park checking out geology sites, wild flowers, and photo ops.
Arrive at camp ground about 3 pm. Weather kept us from getting tent up and we got soaked. Weather cleared, got ourselves dried up, tent up, and dinner cooked. Even a few hours of campfire time. More rain so we called it a night. About midnight lightning, thunder, heavy rain. Our first major storm in a tent. Glad I upgraded my tent, no leaks. Big blow lasted good time with many lightning strikes.
Looking down the valley from our camp site
Camp Site
Sunset
Petrified Dunes
Arch
May 15, Travel to Dead Horse State Park Utah. Dead Horse is high above Canyonlands. Early start, lots of weather on way. Rain, sleet, snow hail over mountains. Got to Dead Horse around 4. Parked cars and explored overlooks and had some photo ops. No wood fires allowed
. Pretty cold for Mid May. No rain till mid night. Rained 2/3 hours then stopped.
View from Dead Horse
Sunset Dead Horse
Camp Site Dead Horse
May 16, drive to Canyonlands Island in the Sky visit center to check road conditions because of 1/2 inch rain in park last 24 hours. Everything open, but rangers said expect mushy, muddy trail, especially on the west side. On to Mineral Bottom Road off highway UT 313, then to White Rim Trail. Off road travel today would be approx. 37 miles. Air down then hit road, lots mud and water. We were slimed pretty good when we got to the Mineral Bottom switch backs. Mineral bottom switch backs were damp but not muddy. At Bottom of switch backs we hit intermittent patches of water and mud. On way to the days camp site (Potato Bottom), took the Taylor Canyon trail side trip, 10 miles round trip (bypassed last year). Saw Moses and Zeus towers. More mud and water till Hardscrabble on trail. Thankfully Hardscrabble pretty dry, with its steep trail ascents and descents. Camp a little damp, but beautiful. Camp set up, including shade. Even in cold weather that sun is hot. Minor raining over night.
Trail Head Mineral Bottom Road
Down Mineral Bottom Switchbacks
At end of Taylor Canyon Trail, Zeus and Moses in background
Potato Bottom Campsite
May 17, Continue on White Rim trail to Murphy Hogback, 21 miles. Pancake B'fast. Hit trail 9:30. First ten miles to Murphy easy trail and very scenic. 2nd 1/2 of trail more difficult with some very steep ascent and descents. Last leg up to Murphy very steep and rocky. Camp site very remote. Rabbits, lizards, bugs but no bites and humming birds. Big ravens. This is basically a rocky out crop so we had to make use of stones to tie down tent. Used Juniper trees and Jeep for Shade set up.
Milky Way late in AM after clouds cleared.
Green River along trail
Potholes in the rock, with black slime
Canyon Rim
Flowering Cacti
Final trail up to Murphy Camp (west side)
Trail up to Murphy from atop hogback
Murphy Camp
Views
Sunrise
May 18, Continue on White Rim Trail to Airport camp (27 miles, with side trip to White Crack). Steep descent on east side Hogback. Checked out White Crack. Lots of challenges on this leg. Got to camp 2 pm, got shade sail up, then weather moving in. Fun watching lightning from afar over the canyons. Rain arrived here so we waited out in car and tent. Finally let up and we got dinner then more rain about 8 pm.
White Crack Camp Views
Monument Basin
Other sites
Airport Camp
Afternoon thunderstorm in Valley next to ours
Sunrise
May 19, Continue on White Rim Trail to Shafer exit (18 miles). Final destination Arches National park Devil's Garden camp ground. Travel time longer than expected because of rain damage to trail, lots of deep ruts across trial and deep pot holes at reduced speed. Stops for photos and checked out Musselman arch (bypassed last year). Drive up Shafer Switch Backs (what a view!!). Air up tires before travel into Moab. On to Arches. Rain started up again. Devils Garden, A little damp.
Pitched tent, then more rain, light and windy. Finally cleared out and we had no more rain! Hiked out to some arches and took pictures. Dinner and later had nice fire.
Up Shafer
City Market Moab
Arches Camp
View from camp road
Skyline Arch
Tapestry Arches
May 20, up early, broke camp early to see some more Arches sites and head back into Moab. Then head south to St George, UT. Overnight at hotel (shower!!). Had some great local pizza.
Balanced Rock
Ready for home
May 21, Drive home to Lakewood, Ca.
Here is a quick rundown of the trip and some pictures.
May 14, Travel to Snow Canyon State Park Utah. Camp there overnight. Left Lakewood, CA about 5:30 am. Got to Snow canyon about 12-1230. Overcast, little breezy. Drove along main road of park checking out geology sites, wild flowers, and photo ops.
Arrive at camp ground about 3 pm. Weather kept us from getting tent up and we got soaked. Weather cleared, got ourselves dried up, tent up, and dinner cooked. Even a few hours of campfire time. More rain so we called it a night. About midnight lightning, thunder, heavy rain. Our first major storm in a tent. Glad I upgraded my tent, no leaks. Big blow lasted good time with many lightning strikes.
Looking down the valley from our camp site
Camp Site
Sunset
Petrified Dunes
Arch
May 15, Travel to Dead Horse State Park Utah. Dead Horse is high above Canyonlands. Early start, lots of weather on way. Rain, sleet, snow hail over mountains. Got to Dead Horse around 4. Parked cars and explored overlooks and had some photo ops. No wood fires allowed
. Pretty cold for Mid May. No rain till mid night. Rained 2/3 hours then stopped.View from Dead Horse
Sunset Dead Horse
Camp Site Dead Horse
May 16, drive to Canyonlands Island in the Sky visit center to check road conditions because of 1/2 inch rain in park last 24 hours. Everything open, but rangers said expect mushy, muddy trail, especially on the west side. On to Mineral Bottom Road off highway UT 313, then to White Rim Trail. Off road travel today would be approx. 37 miles. Air down then hit road, lots mud and water. We were slimed pretty good when we got to the Mineral Bottom switch backs. Mineral bottom switch backs were damp but not muddy. At Bottom of switch backs we hit intermittent patches of water and mud. On way to the days camp site (Potato Bottom), took the Taylor Canyon trail side trip, 10 miles round trip (bypassed last year). Saw Moses and Zeus towers. More mud and water till Hardscrabble on trail. Thankfully Hardscrabble pretty dry, with its steep trail ascents and descents. Camp a little damp, but beautiful. Camp set up, including shade. Even in cold weather that sun is hot. Minor raining over night.
Trail Head Mineral Bottom Road
Down Mineral Bottom Switchbacks
At end of Taylor Canyon Trail, Zeus and Moses in background
Potato Bottom Campsite
May 17, Continue on White Rim trail to Murphy Hogback, 21 miles. Pancake B'fast. Hit trail 9:30. First ten miles to Murphy easy trail and very scenic. 2nd 1/2 of trail more difficult with some very steep ascent and descents. Last leg up to Murphy very steep and rocky. Camp site very remote. Rabbits, lizards, bugs but no bites and humming birds. Big ravens. This is basically a rocky out crop so we had to make use of stones to tie down tent. Used Juniper trees and Jeep for Shade set up.
Milky Way late in AM after clouds cleared.
Green River along trail
Potholes in the rock, with black slime
Canyon Rim
Flowering Cacti
Final trail up to Murphy Camp (west side)
Trail up to Murphy from atop hogback
Murphy Camp
Views
Sunrise
May 18, Continue on White Rim Trail to Airport camp (27 miles, with side trip to White Crack). Steep descent on east side Hogback. Checked out White Crack. Lots of challenges on this leg. Got to camp 2 pm, got shade sail up, then weather moving in. Fun watching lightning from afar over the canyons. Rain arrived here so we waited out in car and tent. Finally let up and we got dinner then more rain about 8 pm.
White Crack Camp Views
Monument Basin
Other sites
Airport Camp
Afternoon thunderstorm in Valley next to ours
Sunrise
May 19, Continue on White Rim Trail to Shafer exit (18 miles). Final destination Arches National park Devil's Garden camp ground. Travel time longer than expected because of rain damage to trail, lots of deep ruts across trial and deep pot holes at reduced speed. Stops for photos and checked out Musselman arch (bypassed last year). Drive up Shafer Switch Backs (what a view!!). Air up tires before travel into Moab. On to Arches. Rain started up again. Devils Garden, A little damp.
Pitched tent, then more rain, light and windy. Finally cleared out and we had no more rain! Hiked out to some arches and took pictures. Dinner and later had nice fire.
Up Shafer
City Market Moab
Arches Camp
View from camp road
Skyline Arch
Tapestry Arches
May 20, up early, broke camp early to see some more Arches sites and head back into Moab. Then head south to St George, UT. Overnight at hotel (shower!!). Had some great local pizza.
Balanced Rock
Ready for home
May 21, Drive home to Lakewood, Ca.
